As the counting of votes starts at 8 am, all eyes are on Kaliabor. After a high-energy campaign that saw leaders crisscrossing the Nagaon district, the polling officially wrapped up on April 9. Kaliabor is a crucial seat in central Assam, often seen as a bellwether for the political mood in the Brahmaputra Valley.
The voter turnout this year was quite impressive at 86.04%, showing that the local community was eager to participate in deciding the next five years. The contest this time is a significant one: sitting MLA and senior AGP leader Keshab Mahanta is looking to defend his turf once again. He is up against Pradip Kumar Baruah of Raijor Dal, which is an ally of Congress. Jiten Gour and Jyotiska Ranjan Goswami fought independently.
What happened in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections?
Historically, Kaliabor has been a stronghold for the AGP in recent times. Back in 2021, Keshab secured a comfortable victory with 73,677 votes, winning by a margin of over 28,000 votes against the Congress. In 2016, Keshab won the seat with a vote share of 62.03%. He defeated INC candidate Bindu Ganju by a margin of 37,990 votes.
